Chapter 8
Audience with the Holy Emperor (3)
Seongjin sat across from the Holy Emperor, silently staring at him for a while.
He was trying his best to figure out the man’s intentions.
To a father, it was an incredibly disrespectful gaze, but the Holy Emperor didn’t seem to mind. He simply picked up the teacup before him.
Without drinking it, he quietly looked down at the tea. His face was so expressionless that Seongjin briefly wondered if the man was even capable of feeling emotions.
The silence between them finally broke when the Holy Emperor gently set the teacup back on the table.
“You’re not going to eat? Aren’t these your usual favorites?”
“…”
What?
Wasn’t he supposed to be suspicious of me?
Unsure, Seongjin cautiously spoke.
“…Um… Father?”
“Yes, Mores.”
The tension instantly drained from Seongjin.
I worked myself up for nothing. He really doesn’t seem to suspect anything.
Well… he’s still a little hard to read, but I guess he’s willing to treat me as his son.
Feeling that things would work out however they worked out, Seongjin picked up a cookie.
The old man would probably keep watching him if he didn’t eat, and besides, it would be a waste to leave such expensive snacks untouched.
Crunch. Crunch.
“…!”
This is way better than I expected.
Was his body, weakened by several days of dieting, simply craving sugar?
Or perhaps his real tastes were more similar to Mores’s than he’d realized?
For decades after Earth’s devastation by monsters, Seongjin had survived mostly on preserved food.
The desserts painstakingly crafted by the imperial pastry chefs were more than enough to win over his long-neglected taste buds.
With genuine admiration, he sampled one dessert after another.
The Holy Emperor simply watched him in silence, occasionally taking a sip of tea. Judging by how little the tea level dropped, however, he didn’t seem to enjoy drinking it very much.
Only then did Seongjin finally have the chance to observe him more carefully.
At first glance, he looks young and gentle.
Yet those strangely cold eyes kept him from appearing truly youthful.
He probably wasn’t actually that young.
Edith had once told him that Aura users aged much more slowly after reaching a certain level.
So just how strong is he?
Even with Seongjin’s decades of combat experience, he couldn’t easily judge.
If his physical condition recovered, he was confident he could at least hold his own against Edith or the knights stationed at Pearl Palace even without Aura.
If he absorbed the life force of magical beasts again, overwhelming them would be effortless.
But the Holy Emperor was different.
He didn’t radiate an overwhelming pressure…
Yet whenever Seongjin tried to find an opening, something felt strangely uncomfortable.
More than anything, the instincts sharpened through countless battles kept sounding warning bells.
This probably means… he’s so strong that I can’t even measure him.
I’d better avoid picking a fight with this man.
After that, an awkward father-son conversation continued.
“So. How have you been?”
“Well… I’ve been exercising. I also thought I’d take this chance to lose some weight.”
“A wise decision. I hear you’ve been going to the training grounds lately.”
“Yes. I’m starting with light exercise and gradually increasing the amount of training.”
“Exercising too much can be harmful.”
“I know. Once my body adapts, I can increase the intensity while shortening the training time. Then I’ll have time left over to read books.”
“Books?”
For the first time, interest flickered in the Holy Emperor’s eyes.
It was the first meaningful expression Seongjin had seen from the otherwise emotionless man.
Oh? So this topic gets a reaction.
Well, no parent dislikes hearing that their child wants to study.
Feeling more relaxed, Seongjin continued talking.
“Well… you know I’ve been extremely ignorant… I mean, I’ve always stayed away from books.”
The Demon King had said as much, so it was probably true.
Fortunately, the Holy Emperor showed no reaction.
“…”
“But after surviving death, I started thinking differently about life.”
“All kinds of philosophical questions keep popping into my head.”
“Why do we live?”
“What is life for?”
“Things like that.”
“Philosophy.”
“Yes.”
“And I’ve become curious about religion as well.”
“I want to learn about death, the afterlife, gods… souls.”
The Holy Emperor tilted his head.
“You were interested in such things? As I recall, the theology tutor was the first teacher you drove away.”
No, Mores probably skipped every subject equally.
“So… Holy Emperor… Father.”
“I really have something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“…Do you believe souls exist?”
“…Well, of course you do. You’re the Holy Emperor.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“…Can you actually see people’s souls?”
“…”
It was an impulsive question.
Since he no longer felt the Holy Emperor intended to harm him, his curiosity had finally gotten the better of him.
At the same time, it struck at the very heart of his greatest concern.
The thing Seongjin had feared from the beginning…
The very thing he still suspected about the Holy Emperor.
The Holy Emperor answered calmly.
“I can indeed see souls.”
“And even if I could not, any priest who believes in the Lord God naturally accepts their existence.”
“As a prince of the Holy Empire, you should not doubt such matters.”
“Then… what do souls look like?”
“They appear exactly as the person did while alive.”
“A soul continues to bear the influence of its body until the very moment of death.”
Seongjin swallowed nervously.
Then…
“If that’s true…”
“…What does my soul look like?”
This time, the Holy Emperor did not answer immediately.
“…Why ask that all of a sudden?”
“Well…”
“I’ve lived such a reckless life.”
“So I was wondering whether my soul is just as fat as my body…”
Even Seongjin thought it sounded ridiculous.
But he maintained a perfectly straight face.
The Holy Emperor silently studied him for a moment with unreadable eyes before speaking.
“To confirm that, your soul would first need to leave your body.”
“…Would you like to die and find out?”
“…”
Seriously?
The moment I let my guard down, he hits me with that?
I’m sorry…
The audience passed much faster than Seongjin had expected.
Even in his previous life, he had never been particularly sociable.
Yet somehow, in front of the Holy Emperor, words flowed naturally from his mouth.
Was I always this talkative?
He found himself wondering that even while they spoke.
Compared to how tense he’d been, treating the Holy Emperor like the final boss, he had adapted surprisingly quickly.
Perhaps it was because the constant feeling that his life was in danger had finally disappeared.
“…So I was doing stretches on the floor when Edith suddenly rushed over in a panic.”
“She thought I’d fallen over and couldn’t get back up.”
“Did she?”
“Whenever I pick up anything to exercise with, she somehow notices immediately.”
“I think she assumes I’ll throw whatever’s in my hands.”
“I see.”
“By the way, this tea is delicious.”
“I’ve hardly ever drunk tea before, but it’s much better than the Melborn tea Edith made me.”
“That stuff tasted like boiled gallbladder.”
“…This tea is also Melborn.”
“…What?”
The Holy Emperor turned out to be a surprisingly easy person to talk to.
No matter how trivial Seongjin’s stories were, he quietly listened.
His reactions weren’t particularly expressive, but he never interrupted.
Perhaps because of that, despite the Holy Emperor actually being closer in age to Seongjin’s son, calling him “Father” came surprisingly naturally.
“So… I’d like to learn Aura.”
“But I have no idea where to start.”
At the end, Seongjin finally voiced his real request.
His father was the most powerful man in the empire and apparently an exceptionally strong Aura user.
If he didn’t take advantage of this opportunity, he’d be an idiot.
“Aura…”
The Holy Emperor rested his chin on one hand and thought.
“Ordinarily, one first trains in swordsmanship, spear techniques, or similar martial arts.”
“Each discipline has its own Aura cultivation method.”
“The more thoroughly one masters those methods, the more freely Aura can be controlled.”
“Oh! So there are separate cultivation techniques.”
“Indeed.”
“The foundation of Aura lies in those methods.”
“Of course, once one reaches a certain level, the distinctions between cultivation methods become meaningless.”
“At that point, Aura naturally flows wherever one’s will directs it.”
“Then I should probably start by learning swordsmanship along with the cultivation method…”
…Huh?
As he nodded, something suddenly struck him as odd.
Wait.
Isn’t he an Aura user?
Why is he talking as if he’s only heard this from someone else?
“I heard you’re an Aura user too.”
“How did you first learn it?”
At the question, the Holy Emperor rubbed his chin.
Hmm?
He actually looked… slightly troubled.
Now that he’d spent some time with him, Seongjin felt like he could finally read a little of the expressionless man’s face.
“The truth is…”
“I don’t remember exactly how I first learned.”
“I simply moved that way out of habit whenever I used a sword.”
“My teacher later informed me that what I was using was Aura.”
“…What?”
Seongjin’s jaw dropped.
So those absurd geniuses who use Aura as naturally as breathing from childhood…
He’s one of them.
“Now that I think about it…”
“When you were young, you enjoyed swordsmanship lessons more than any other subject.”
“But no matter how much you trained, you never managed to grasp Aura.”
“Ah… I see…”
“When effort brought no results, you eventually lost interest in swordsmanship as well.”
“I understand…”
Suddenly, Seongjin felt a wave of sympathy for Mores.
So he finally found something he genuinely liked…
…and even then, he had no talent for it.
His thoughts grew complicated.
If Mores’s body was naturally unsuited for Aura, the road ahead would be difficult indeed.
“So it really will be difficult?”
“I thought that if it could be learned through training, I’d somehow manage.”
The Holy Emperor shook his head.
“In the end, it is simply a matter of time and effort.”
“I have seen people who took a long time to sense Aura for the first time, yet advanced at extraordinary speed once they finally did.”
“And besides…”
He stopped speaking and quietly looked into Seongjin’s face.
Then he said something completely unexpected.
“…As you are now, I don’t think it will be particularly difficult.”
On the carriage ride back to Pearl Palace, Seongjin sprawled comfortably against the cushions with a satisfied smile.
He was a little tired, but today’s audience had produced excellent results.
Chief Chamberlain Louis had even become teary-eyed.
“It has been years since the two of you spent such a peaceful time together…”
Making such a dignified old gentleman that happy…
Now that’s true respect for one’s elders.
Moreover, when Seongjin asked to resume swordsmanship lessons, the Holy Emperor had readily agreed.
“I shall send someone suitable to Pearl Palace before long.”
And best of all…
He no longer had to worry about being exorcised.
Yes!
His huge body wriggled excitedly with joy, making the carriage sway violently.
“Your Highness! Is something wrong? Are you alright?”
Hearing the coachman’s shout from outside, Seongjin quickly sat upright and coughed.
“Ahem! Nothing’s wrong!”
“I merely slipped in my seat. Don’t concern yourself!”
[You’re unbelievable. Are you a child? That’s embarrassing.]
Finally, the Demon King, who had remained silent until now, spoke again.
Seongjin answered happily.
That’s why I only act like this when I’m alone.
More importantly, are you alright? Why were you so quiet earlier?
[The shock my soul received was too great.]
[I needed time to recover.]
The trembling in his voice was vivid.
It really had been a close call.
[The Imperial Palace… that place was overflowing with holy power.]
[I was completely crushed. I thought I was going to die.]
*[If that holy power hadn’t suddenly been blocked… if it had been even a little later… I would’ve…]
The holy power was blocked?
Seongjin immediately thought of something.
The moment the Holy Emperor had placed his hand on his head.
He had done something then.
[I don’t know what trick that man used… but now there’s something like a barrier surrounding our souls.]
“…A barrier?”
[It completely blocks holy power… and spiritual energy as well.]
[Even if someone with holy power comes close now, it no longer hurts like before.]
*[But…]
The Demon King hesitated before continuing in a dejected voice.
[…I can no longer interfere with other people’s souls.]
Wait.
Did that mean…
[That’s right.]
A sigh-like vibration echoed through Seongjin’s mind.
[Soul Detection no longer works.]
[I tried it on the coachman and the escort knights just now, but nothing happened.]
So the Demon King’s one and only useful ability was gone.
Now he truly was nothing more than burnt leftovers from the Demon Realm.
The Demon King exploded in protest.
[I can at least move a certain distance away from this body now!]
[Could you stop treating me like complete garbage?!]
So instead of being a lie detector…
he had become a short-range navigation system.
“Well…”
Seongjin adjusted his posture and looked out the window.
The sun was gradually setting, and the ivory walls of Pearl Palace were beginning to appear in the distance.
Only a few days had passed, yet somehow Pearl Palace already felt like home.
Let’s just be thankful we survived.
The Holy Emperor turned out to be a decent person.
And both of us are safe now.
The Demon King clearly disagreed.
[What? A decent person? Safe?]
[You innocent fool.]
*[When someone’s this ignorant, their head really can be filled with flowers…]
Suddenly, overwhelming fear surged from the trembling soul, so dark and intense that Seongjin was left speechless.
[You don’t understand.]
[You couldn’t possibly know unless you experienced it soul to soul.]
“…?”
*[That thing…]
[That thing is a monster.]
*[How can something like that exist in this world?]
“Hey. Calling him a monster is a bit much…”
[If not a monster, then what?]
[I am the great Demon King of Gehenna.]
[Yet I cannot even begin to measure his limits.]
*[Do you honestly think such a being is an ordinary human?]
Is he really that terrifying?
Still… he treated us pretty kindly.
He listened to my problems.
He even saved you.
The Demon King snorted.
[Ha! Do you really think that monster doesn’t know what you are?]
[Then why would he let you live?]
*[You’re an evil spirit that stole his son’s body!]
“Hey, ‘evil spirit’ is a little harsh.”
“I’d have to be cursing people, hurting innocent people, or possessing bodies against their will before I’d qualify as—”
…
Wait.
I actually am an evil spirit.
Ignoring Seongjin’s sudden realization, the Demon King continued ranting.
[Think about it!]
[If we disappear, Mores’s body dies!]
[That’s why he’s leaving us alone even if we’re in his way!]
[And tell me—if you were him, how would you find your real son’s soul?]
[The evil spirit that stole the body would know best, wouldn’t it?]
[We’re the only clue he has!]
[That’s why he’s keeping us close and watching us!]
*[Can’t you see something that obvious?!]
“Hey… calm down first…”
To be honest, Seongjin wasn’t entirely comfortable with the Holy Emperor’s kindness either.
Even so…
For a brief moment, he had truly felt as though they were father and son.
Of course, he didn’t say that aloud.
The Demon King had become so emotional that he was practically crying.
[I’m scared.]
*[That man… he’s far too terrifying…]
While Seongjin was busy comforting the sniffling Demon King, the carriage rolled through the gates of Pearl Palace.
By then, dusk had completely settled over the palace grounds.
That evening, an administrator arrived with Edith to deliver news.
As of that day, the visitor restrictions placed on Pearl Palace had been partially lifted.
